The application requests support for maintenance, upgrade, and specialized personnel to enhance the existing microscopy and tissue culture facilities in the Margaret M. Dyson Vision Research Institute at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The overall goal of the planned infrastructure improvements is to increase the scientific productivity of Dyson researchers by providing he best possible research environment. Optimized facility management and usage will be important to facilitate existing, NEI funded research projects in the Dyson Institute. Furthermore, the proposed enhancements to the support and equipment for microscopy and tissue culture shared by all Dyson scientists will be necessary to promote new lines of individual and collaborative investigations on topics of retinal cell biology, which is the common interest of Dyson faculty. Finally, an improved environment will render the Dyson vision research institute more attractive to investigators who may be interested in vision research but have yet established NEI-funded projects, thus facilitating the recruitment of new researchers to vision science. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]